Lock for breakdown guns.



PATENTED JULY 4, 1905.

J. T. GODBOUT. LOOK FOR BREAKDOWN GUNS. APPLICATION IILED JULY 18, 1901. nnnfnwnn MAY 10.1005.

2 SHEETS- No. 793,875. PATENTBD JULY 4, 1905.

J. T.GODBOUT. LOOK FOR BREAKDOWN GUNS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 18, 1901. RENEWED MAY 10.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented July 4, 1905.

JOSEPH T. GODBOUT, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOOK FOR BREAKDOWN GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,875, dated July 4, 1905.

Application filed July 18, 1901. Renewed May 10, 1905- Serial No. 259,826.

My invention relatesto improvements in guns, and more particularly to the lock mech anism of breech-loading guns of the so-called hammerless type.

My objects are to provide a convenient mechanism for cocking the piece, a simple and eflicient mechanism for holding the breech closed, an improved hammer-support, and a reliable and eflicient safety mechanism.

To these ends and also to improve generally upon devices of the nature indicated my invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a gun with the stock removed to more clearly show the lock mechanism, the breech being shown closed. Fig. 2 is a corresponding view with the stock in posit-ion and the breech open. Fig. 3 is a top plan view,- partly in section, on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is atop plan view, partly in section, on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the hammer-support with the hammers and portions of the lock-frame shown in section. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View, chiefly in sectional elevation, showing the shell-ejector extension. Fig. 7

- is a side elevation of one of the hammers, said view showing the inner side of the hammer; and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail illustrating a modified form of sear.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, A represents the barrels, and B indicates the frame, said frame having the lock-containing opening extending entirely through it in order to provide for easily milling the same. Rigidly connected to the underside of the barrels and in the center thereof is a latch-plate (0, having a rearwardlyprojecting nose (0, which when the breech is closed rests in a recess 0 in the front face of a latch C, pivoted to the upper portion of the frame B, the wall of the latch above said recess engaging the upper face of said nose and holding the breech securely closed. Upon this latch is a rearwardly-extending and downwardly-curved finger c, which is engaged by a flat spring C, the latch being thus yieldingly held in looking position, whereby backward movement of the latch operates, through the finger c, to raise said spring and release the plate a, the spring serving to return the latch to locking position as soon as pressure upon the latch is removed. To permit the latch to be operated, it has a trigger extension 0 which 1 projects through an elongated opening in the frame B and lies in a kerf b in the forward end of the usual triggerguard B. The spring C is merely a plate of spring metal, centrally slotted, as at C to receive the latch and permit the necessary pivotal movement of the same, said plate being secured to the lower inner wall of the frame B, as illustrated Fig. 4.

The breech being closed, as illustrated in Fig. 1, it is obvious that to open the same it is only necessary to press upon the trigger extension 0 when the latch C will be withdrawn and the gun can be broken. As soon as the finger is removed from said extension 0 the flat spring returns the latch C to its normal position, and as the breech is closed the nose (4 first forces the latch backwardly and then falls into the recess 0, the said spring then again forcing the latchinto locking position and the breech being locked.

The hammers D have straight bars square in cross-section, the forward ends of these bars extending outwardly to produce the heads d, which carry the usual firing-pins d, while upon the rear of the bars are reduced stems d which enter suitable recesses b in the frame B, coiled springs D encircling said stems and bearing between the frame B and the body portions of the hammer-bars. The upper faces of the hammer-bars are provided with the usual notches for engagement by the scars, and, for a purpose to be more fully hereinafter described, the inner lower faces of the hammer-heads are beveled or hollowed out, as shown at 0Z Fig. 7.

The hammers are supported by a post or tirely through the post longitudinally and receiving the triggers E, which are suitably pivoted to the post, as at c. This post E is easily and cheaply made and fastened in position and firmly supports the hammers and triggers.

The cooking of the hammers is effected by means of an extension-plate F, carried by the barrels, said extension being in the present instance attached to the shell-ejector A. This extension projects rearwardly from the shellejector and has a downwardly-extending nose f, the outer upper corner of the extension being curved, as shown at f. The extension-plate lies in the center of the shell-ejector and overlaps the inner faces of the hammer-heads, said plate lying below the hammers, as shown in Fig. 1, when the breech is closed to permit the cut-away portions d of the hammers to lie over the said plate when the piece is fired. In this closed position the plate F lies upon the plate a, with the nose a projecting behind it, so that the latch O can operate to hold the breech closed. As the breech is opened, however, the plate F is projected, with the shell-ejector, in a wellknown manner, and the cam-face f of the plate engaging the beveled portions of the hammers said hammers are forced into cocked position and engaged by the sears in an obvious manner.

The plate F can manifestly be made integral with the shell-ejector; but in order to adapt the present structure to a gun having a shellejector of the common type the said plate can be made separately and then secured to the shell-ejector by means of a headed screw f extending longitudinally through said plate and entering a suitable socket in the shellejector, the head of the screw (which lies in the cam-face of the plate) being shaped to conform to the surface of said cam.

The sears G (shown in Fig. 1) are of the usual type, being spring-plates secured to the frame B at b and having their free ends bent to suitably engage the notches in the hammerbars. The portion of the sear upon which the trigger works is, however, preferably made fiat and straight, as shown at g, and immediately above this portion is a safetyslide G, having a thumb-piece g projecting above the frame B and a head which when the slide is in rear or safety position lies upon the portion g of the sear over the trigge-r end, and thus locks the sear against movement to release the hammer. When the said slide is pushed into forward position, the head g lies clear of the sear, (which projects downwardly from the forwardend of the straight portion g,) and the piece can then be fired.

As a modification the sear illustrated in Fig. 8 can be employed. Here a piece of rigid metal X takes the place of the springplate G, said metal plate being hinged to the frame B, as at If, and being forced into engaging position by means of a plate-spring 00, secured to the frame and bearing upon the plate X, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a gun, a barrel, a locking-latch pivoted to the upper part of the breech-frame and having a finger projecting therefrom, a platespring secured to the frame of the gun and having a slot receiving said latch, said spring engaging said finger to hold the latch normally in latching position.

2. In a gun, abarrel-locking latch havinga finger projecting therefrom,and a plate-spring having a slot receiving said latch, said plate secured to the gun-frame and having its body portion resting upon said finger, whereby the latch is normally held in latching position, substantially as described.

3. In a gun, abarrel, a locking-latch pivoted to the upper part of the frame and having a rearwardly and downwardly extending curved finger, a plate-spring secured to the frame of the gun and having a slot receiving said latch, and engaging the curved portion of said finger whereby the latch is yieldingly held in locking position.

4:- In a gun, abarrel, a locking-latch pivoted to the upper part of the frame and having a rearwardly and downwardly extending curved finger, a plate-spring secured to the frame of the gun and having a slot receiving said latch, and engaging the curved portion of said finger whereby the latch is yieldingly held in looking position, said frame having an elongated opening through which an extension on the finger extension of said latch projects, and a trigger-guard having a kerf in which said extension lies.

5. In a gun, a supporting-post secured to the lower tang and having longitudinal side channels and side lugs and upwardly-extending longitudinal kerfs with a wall separating the same from said channels, said kerfs extending entirely through said post longitudinally, triggers pivoted to said post and received in said kerfs a latch-plate, firing-pins supported by the said post and slidingly supported in said channels and cooperating with said side lugs, and an extension-plate carried by the barrels and lapping the front ends of the firing-pins.

6. In a gun, a supporting-post secured to the lower tang and having longitudinal side channels and downwardlyeXtending side lugs and upwardly-extending longitudinal kerfs with a Wall separating the same from said channels,said kerfs extending entirely through said post longitudinally, triggers pivoted to said post and received in said kerfs a latch-plate, firing-pins supported by the said post and slidingly supported in said channels and cooperating With said side lugs, and an extensionplate carried by the barrels and lapping the front ends of the firing-pins, and lying over the latch-plate said extension-plate having a curved upper corner which engages and cocks the firing-pins when the barrels are broken down.

7. In a gun, abarrel, alocking-latch pivoted to the upper part of the breech-frame having I a finger projecting therefrom, a plate-spring secured to the frame of the gun and having a slot receiving said latch, said spring engaging said finger to hold the latch normally in latching position, and an extension-plate carried by the barrels and lying upon said plate-spring, and having a cam-face, said plate lapping the front faces of the firing-pins and lying below the firing-pins when the breech is closed.

Signed by me at Worcester, Massachusetts, this 15th day of June, 1901.

JOSEPH T. GODBOUT.

Witnesses:

ALnUs C. HIGGINS, GALEs PJMooRE. 

